A better, faster exercise recovery is a goal shared by many young athletes, as well as their parents and coaches.
While a number of things can help, including good nutrition, adequate hydration and active recovery, Forté athletic trainer and outreach operations manager Jillian Hacker is quick to point out that sleep also plays a major role in a young athlete’s recovery.
“High school student-athletes need eight to 10 hours of sleep a night, on average, to recover from school, from the day, and from any physical activity to be ready for the next day,” says Hacker.
Here, she and Dr. Michael Del Busto, a rehabilitation and sports medicine physician at Forté, share five strategies to improve an athlete’s sleep and optimize recovery.
Adding wind down time to your evening routine can help improve sleep. Recommendations include participating in a relaxing and quiet activity, such as reading or journaling, and limiting screen time starting approximately 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
Keeping sleep natural generally means avoiding sleep medications due to potential side effects. Natural ways to improve sleep include avoiding alcohol, staying active, setting your thermostat at an ideal temperature (typically between 65 and 72 degrees) and turning off unnecessary lights.
Athletes on a consistent practice schedule often sleep better than those without.
“The benefit of staying on a consistent schedule is that your body knows when it’s time to start winding down and when to wake up each day,” says Hacker. “While travel can complicate this process, trying to keep athletes on track and making adjustments when needed will help them perform better across time zones.”
It’s recommended to limit caffeine and avoid after lunch.
Limiting naps to between 20 and 90 minutes can ward off grogginess that can affect sports performance and ensure that your bedtime doesn’t get pushed later into the night.
While all five strategies can help young athletes improve sleep, leading to faster, better recoveries, Dr. Del Busto shares a bonus strategy that can also make a difference in sleep hygiene.
“It’s also a good idea, if possible, to have a dedicated sleep space,” says Del Busto. “People often use a bedroom for things besides sleep, such as homework and watching movies. Reserving a space for sleep will help you fall asleep faster and sleep better.”
Focusing on these strategies can help your athletes feel more prepared for practices and games and perform to the best of their abilities.
These recommendations have been excerpted from Coaches Corner, a free monthly webinar series for coaches, athletic directors and athletic trainers. The series, developed and presented by Forté, in partnership with IHSAA, aims to arm coaching and support teams with helpful information to consider when working with their athletes. Subscribe online so you don’t miss an episode.
Ice and heat are valuable tools for treating injuries and reducing pain. The benefits include being easy to use and helping with a wide range of issues; however, it’s important to know when to use one over the other.
Forté athletic trainer and outreach operations manager Jillian Hacker says one of the most common questions she’s asked is when to treat an athlete with ice versus heat. Here, she and Dr. Michael Del Busto, a rehabilitation and sports medicine physician at Forté, explain how to know which is best for your injury and why.
The Effects and Benefits of Ice
Ice can help an injured athlete by reducing swelling and relieving pain. Ice does so by:
Additionally, ice is often a popular pick because you can work with what you have available. An ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables often does the trick. Other methods include an ice bath or ice massage.
When Ice is the Best Option
No matter your method of application, ice is most beneficial when used in the first 24-48 hours after suffering an injury or post-workout.
“The most important thing to note is that we want to use ice after exercise,” says Hacker. “Ice decreases nerve excitability and muscle function. It’s not appropriate before working out because prior to an athletic event, we want those nerves and muscles to be ready to go. We don’t want them to shut down.”
While ice is most beneficial for acute injuries, it can also be used for a chronic injury during a flare up. Just beware ice applied to a chronic injury can cause stiffness.
The Effects and Benefits of Heat
Heat can help an injured athlete by addressing pain and encouraging healing in the following ways:
Methods for administering heat can be as simple as using a heating pad or a warm towel. You can also use a hot bath or whirlpool.
When Heat is the Best Option
Heat is best suited for treating chronic injuries. One of the biggest benefits of heat is its ability to help warm up stiff and scarred tissues before exercise.
“You can use heat for backaches and stiffness,” says Hacker. “It’s a good option before a workout because of its ability to bring blood flow to the area.”
You can also use heat after an injury, but it’s important to do so cautiously. Best practices include waiting 48 hours or more after an injury to prevent increasing blood flow to the area and causing more swelling.
Best When Used in Moderation
Whether treating injuries with heat or ice, you want to use both in moderation. It’s recommended to use either modality for up to 20 minutes at a time every 2 hours to prevent burns or frostbite.
“People don’t always take these issues seriously, and that can have negative effects,” says Del Busto. “I can’t tell you how many athletes fall asleep while using an ice pack or heating pad and then get a skin injury.”
Ice and heat can provide significant pain relief when used appropriately. Following these guidelines for using ice and heat can help you get the most out of your treatments.
These recommendations have been excerpted from Coaches Corner, a free monthly webinar series for coaches, athletic directors and athletic trainers. The series, developed and presented by Forté, in partnership with IHSAA, aims to arm coaching and support teams with helpful information to consider when working with their athletes. Subscribe online so you don’t miss an episode.
Locating the source of nerve and muscle problems can be complicated. Fortunately, the team at Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics uses tools that make narrowing down and pinpointing the cause easier, getting you back to your active life faster.
Forté uses a two-part process known as electrodiagnostic testing or EDX to help detect an injury or disorder of a nerve or muscle and the connections between them.
The first portion of the test is a Nerve Conduction Study or NCS, in which medical staff place electrodes over specific sites on your arms and legs and then apply small electric impulses.
During the second portion of the test, Electromyography or EMG, a tiny pin electrode is used to measure electrical activity in the muscle.
Together, these tests help physicians diagnose or rule out muscle and nerve disorders and determine the best treatment for relieving your symptoms.
When to consider electrodiagnostic testing
Your physician may consider electrodiagnostic testing if you’ve experienced muscle pain or cramping, tingling, numbness, or weakness with no apparent cause. It’s often used to help diagnose:
What to expect before, during and after testing
Once you’re referred for electrodiagnostic testing, the experience will be individualized. The time commitment varies per patient, typically ranging between 30 and 60 minutes from start to finish.
There are no restrictions relative to activities before testing, but there are some things to consider. You should wear loose-fitting and stretchy clothes to your appointment. Additionally, you should stop using creams or lotions on your arms or legs approximately 12 hours before testing.
Both parts of the testing process are typically tolerated without needing pain medication.
“The impulses delivered at the NCS electrode sites will feel like a tingling sensation, last less than one second and immediately go away with no lasting effects,” says Dr. Michael Del Busto, a rehabilitation and sports medicine physician at Forté specializing in minimally invasive procedures.
“While there may be some pain or discomfort from the pin electrode used during the second portion of the test, we can control the settings as we go,” says Del Busto. “Following testing, some muscle soreness is to be expected, but it will go away within two to three days.”
You can resume normal activities immediately following testing. Results are typically sent to your physician’s office within 24 hours and will help determine the next steps in your care.
Ready to take the next step? The team at Forté is specially trained to offer electrodiagnostic testing. If you suffer from nerve or muscle problems and are interested in finding out whether EDX is right for you, request an appointment online or call